The Navy decided that, with the search area broadened significantly, long-range aircraft would be more efficient, as they can cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time.

A Pentagon spokesman said that the United States remains committed to helping Malaysia locate the plane, but it's not entirely clear how committed Malaysia is to getting help from the United States or the other 24 countries involved in the search. On Saturday, China's state-run Xinhua news sharply criticized Malaysia's handling of the situation so far, saying officials have been too slow to provide information that could help focus the search. The United States was also accused of not being "open and forthcoming" enough. Two thirds of the plane's passengers were Chinese, making its disappearance an especially sensitive subject for them.